


A Letter to his Future

by VisionaryGalaxy



Series: A Thousand Futures of Me and You [4]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Drabble, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Family Bonding, IronStrange family, Light Angst, M/M, Tony Stark/Stephen Strange parenting Peter Parker | Supremefamily | Strange Family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-30
Updated: 2018-08-30
Packaged: 2019-07-04 09:55:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,965
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15838875
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VisionaryGalaxy/pseuds/VisionaryGalaxy
Summary: Stephen bonds with Peter over the reality of mortality.





	A Letter to his Future

**Author's Note:**

  * Translation into 中文 available: [【授翻/奇异铁】A Letter to his Future/写给他未来的信](https://archiveofourown.org/works/16387328) by [Clover_cherik](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Clover_cherik/pseuds/Clover_cherik)



> So this is a bit different...hope you still enjoy!

   Stephen Strange was trying to meditate, key word: trying. He was currently hovering in his favourite alcove, allowing his third eye to wander and desperately attempting to relax his body enough to recuperate from the magic he had performed earlier. Unfortunately, with each passing moment his actions only seemed to become more and more vain. Stephen was capable of focusing himself in most environments, but apparently not when there was a clearly frustrated teenager shuffling about and exclaiming said frustration out loud in the other room.

   As of late, Peter had taken to spending the occasional evening in the Sanctuary watching Stephen perform magic with wide wonder-filled eyes. It was beyond him, however, to understand the teen’s amazement considering the miracle that was his own biology. Magic was, apparently, much more mesmerizing. Stephen often wondered if he himself had behaved similarly when he began his training, he sincerely hoped not.

   Despite his usual aversion to over-excited individuals like Peter, Stephen had found himself warming up to the kid’s charisma with unnatural speed. Perhaps it was the fact that the kid himself could be shockingly clingy. Soon enough his fast-paced speech and maniac energy had gone from mildly irritating to down right amusing, especially when it was all directed at Tony.

   Of course, the boy’s own personality wasn’t entirely to blame for Stephen extraordinary tolerance. The fatherly relationship Tony had with the boy quickly became apparent and Stephen knew that if he wanted to be and remain with the billionaire he would need to embrace his adopted protégé. At first, he had been concerned that it would be a difficult task, but in the end, it was Peter who seemed desperate for his approval, his trust. The feeling was…unusual but not unwelcome. The joy on Tony’s face when he realized it was an added bonus.

   All of which led back to here. Peter had invited himself into the Sanctuary, which Stephen had allowed with two caveats. The first being that Peter complete his homework before harassing him about his new magical interest, and the second, that he allows Stephen to train him on meditation. Not the Mystic Arts, much to the kid’s disappointment, just typical meditation to help calm his energy a little.

   Stephen could still recall the first time Tony had walked in on them. The dumbstruck expression on his face had been the highlight of his week, also the subtle jealous streak his lover had been on since, regarding Peter’s affections. It was rather adorable, but irrelevant to the current issue.

   Stephen recognized the frustrated groans coming from the kitchen downstairs from his own time as a student. He also knew it was only going to get worse if he didn’t go down and attempt to help, though he would honestly be useless if it wasn’t biology or something similar. With a sigh Stephen lowered himself back to the ground and shook off the haze of his attempted meditation. Slowly he made his way downstairs to the small kitchen (carefully cleared of magical relics for Peter’s visit) and strode in to find Peter laying on the floor with papers scattered about and one prominently pressed against his face. It took a moment for Strange to school his expression into one of neutrality instead of amusement.

   “ _Ahem_ ,” Stephen cleared his throat to gain Peter’s attention.

   At the sound he shot up from the floor, ruffling the papers, and nearly slipping. He starred at Strange with wide, surprised eyes. “Crap, sorry! Dr. Strange I didn’t mean to disturb your meditation!”

   Stephen rarely thought of teens as considerate, but Peter was the drastic exception. He wondered closer, examining the books on the table and frowning when he discovered it appeared to be English. Peter for his part was still starring at him with worried brown eyes, “Really, I didn’t mean to be so loud, I promise to be quieter. Just don’t make me leave the Sanctuary please!”

   Stephen chuckled, and Peter seemed to relax. A little smile gracing his lips. “It’s alright Peter, I remember my English lessons. Probably my worst class, but arguably the most useful in the long run.”

   Peter nodded along, “Yeah, I’m great at science and my technology classes but this one gets to be pretty frustrating.” He pushed back his hair sheepishly.

   Sensing the kid was no longer afraid Stephen would throw him out, he took a seat at the counter, shedding the cloak in the process. Peter followed its movement out of the room like it was still the most amazing thing. Stephen rolled his eyes. “So, Peter. Care to tell me what your working on?”

   Peter looked back at him and his entire face drooped into a dejected expression, an almost haunted look slipping into his eyes that look incredibly foreign on his youthful face. The entire atmosphere shifted, Stephen sensing it in the aura of the room, his own mind focusing in on the moment, highlighting everything around him. Perhaps the meditation had worked a little after all.

   Peter was starring at a piece of paper in his hands, and not meeting Stephen’s eyes. “Have a seat kid,” he offered motioning at the stool on the other side of the counter, “Let me see the assignment.”

   Peter moved slowly, taking his seat and pushing the paper across, all the while looking down and fidgeting with the edge of the counter. A glance at the paper revealed nothing as to why Peter had become so somber. It was a fairly typical English assignment, simply write a letter to yourself for ten years in the future. It was arbitrary really, meant to help kids look at things in the long run, and of course write half decently. Objectively, Stephen couldn’t think of why this would cause Peter so much distress, except maybe if he wished to write about being an Avenger, in which case he would need to lie. Even then, Tony had been drilling it into his head as of late to have a backup plan, a career plan outside the Avengers or super-herodom.

   “Peter why is this assignment upsetting you?” Strange had never been one to beat around the bush, even as a surgeon he preferred the forward approach.

   For his part Peter didn’t bother looking up, instead tugging on the ends of the plain sweater he wore, absently pulling it tighter around himself. “I don’t know,” he murmured.

   Stephen struggled not to sigh, fuck he was bad at this. “Look at me please,”

   Peter glanced up, clearly unhappy to do so. It was all Strange needed though to read the lie there. Silently he stapled his trembling fingers together, ignoring the sting and levelling what Wong called his “Supreme” look on the kid, “I think you do,” and waited.

   It didn’t take very long, Peter glanced about a little before his sad eyes focused on Strange with an odd look akin to desperation. It set something off in Stephen’s heart, an ache for everything the kid had been through at such a young age.

   “I just…” he paused clearly steeling himself, “I just keep trying to imagine ten years in the future, and I just…don’t.”

   Stephen starred at him a moment and the light moisture in the kid’s eyes, and then it hit him. It took all his training to remain calm, and not offer false assurances. Peter might still be a teenager, but in this he needed truth, honesty. “You mean you don’t see you. As in you don’t believe there are ten years left for you.”

   It was a statement and one that made Peter pale even as he nodded, eyes dropping again. Taking a fortifying breath Stephen did the only thing he could to not let his own eyes start stinging. He replaced Peter, his pseudo adopted son, with a student of Kamar-Taj.

   “You are right.” Peter’s eyes snapped up, wide again. “What you do, what we do is incredibly dangerous. We take risks that no one else will ever have to, make decisions that could break others. In many ways, even with our abilities, all it does is put us on an even playing field with our enemies.”

   Peter blinked rapidly at him, the moisture still there but also…appreciation. “Yeah, it just doesn’t seem so unreasonable to think that ten years from now might not exist for me?” It was a whispered unsure question.

   Stephen reached across the counter and lifted his face again where it had fallen. “Maybe its not so unreasonable, but the key word you used there was _might_.”

   Peter shrugged, brow furrowed. “You _might_ not have a future that far ahead, but you _might_ also live well beyond that.”

   Peter’s eyes zeroed in on the time stone hanging around Stephen’s neck, and he had to work not to stiffen instinctively. “Did you see that?”

   Stephen shook his head, and Peter drooped again, “I don’t use the time stone like that Peter, it would be selfish and irresponsible-”

   “Oh I know! I was just curious I wasn’t sure…” It was amazing how afraid the kid was of offending him even while discussing his mortality.

   “The point Peter is that every other student in that class sitting down to write this assignment doesn’t know what their future holds either. Its entirely possible many of them won’t make it to ten years, I think the question you need to ask yourself after this is whether or not you want to keep doing this that far into the future.”

   “Yes.” Peter answered immediately, eyes shining in sudden determination, as though he expected Strange to argue. He would never. He remembered exactly what Tony had told him about the kid’s motivations.

   Stephen nodded, “I won’t lie to you Peter. You already know this will be a very difficult life to live. I can’t promise you ten years, but I _can_ promise you that while Tony and I are still breathing we will do everything in our power to make you ready. Anything to help you on this journey, as long as you are determined to follow this path.” It would be impossible to only ever view Peter as a student.

   Peter was gazing at him with this look of awe that he felt so very underserving of, “Thank you,” he whispered. Suddenly the teen was standing, coming around the counter and embracing him in a tight hug startling the Sorcerer Supreme badly.

   Over the boy’s shoulder, Stephen saw the cloak hovering in the doorway. Its corner’s twitching in a way that indicated Tony was arriving momentarily. Stephen quickly patted his shoulder, and allowed him to pull away, “just remember Peter, you can always talk to me about this. It natural to fear death, to worry about mortality. Any thought you have had about it, I can assure you Tony and I have had it too.”

   Peter offered a watery smile and quickly wiped away his tears, “Yeah Mr. Stark isn’t really the easiest to talk to about it.”

   “He wouldn’t be. He cares about you too much to even let the thought of you being hurt enter his brain.”

   Peter nodded solemnly, “I know.”

   “You know what?” Both Stephen and Peter turned towards the doorway where Tony was striding in, tossing his keys up and down in his hands, a big grin on his face.

   Peter opened his mouth, but Stephen squeezed his shoulder, “That you have been feeling neglected since he’s been spending all his time here.”

   That left both Peter and Tony looking between each other and Stephen, spluttering and faces reddening in embarrassment as they both tried to explain that, that was _not_ the case. Stephen just threw back his head in a laugh as the cloak resettled around his shoulders and seemed to vibrate in its own amusement.

**Author's Note:**

> I lost the argument with my muse.  
> Let me know what you think! Comments sustain my dying motivational lifeforce :)


End file.
